


Family Man

by Leni



Series: The Kindness of Strangers [11]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, Parent Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-18 03:38:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8147866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: Set in the same world as The Kindness of Strangers.Regina discovers that Rumpelstiltskin does a decent job as a father."There he stood, once the terror of the Enchanted Forest, now holding a toddler with one arm while the younger boy clung to his pants in an effort to hold himself upright."





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Latte](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latte/gifts).



> Written for alias_sd6. Prompt: chocolate
> 
> And special thanks to Latte, who wanted to see more of the world in The Kindness of Strangers. Hope you like this bit, sweetie!

Regina wished she'd paid attention to the 'closed' sign at the pawnshop front door. She'd had twenty-eight years to get used to the idea of Rumpelstiltskin as a father, but under the curse he had been a stand-offish parent, often choosing to stay late and keep an eye on his business rather than spend time with his wife and kids.

It had been the easiest thing to know that the slippery bastard had found himself a loophole and freed himself from his cursed self, once Lily Gold had been seen practically walking on air and making carefully optimistic comments about her husband spending more time with their boys.

To her current horror, she had now discovered that Rumpelstiltskin's take of fatherhood included bring-your-kid-to-work days.

"Gods..."

There he stood, once the terror of the Enchanted Forest, now holding a toddler with one arm while the younger boy clung to his pants in an effort to hold himself upright.

To add to her sense of unreality, the older boy had what had been a bar of chocolate in his grip, though most of it seemed smeared across his cheeks and nose, and he was wielding the half-melted thing as a stick, trying to paint Rumpelstiltskin's chin with it.

"Don't look so shocked, madam Mayor," her former teacher said between gritted teeth, deftly avoiding his son's hands. "I remember you didn't do much better with young Henry."

"I couldn't possibly have done worse," she returned haughtily.

Rumpelstiltskin tried to hold the boy away, and Regina thought too late to warn him about the error of his ways. The boy started sniffling at once, obviously a fan of theatrics already, and Regina expected the father to panic at the sign of a bawling session, but Rumpelstiltskin only sighed, settled his son back against his shoulder and distracted him with a few bounces.

Gooey fingerprints appeared on his once spotless shirt, as the boy gripped the fabric for better balance. But he was laughing as he did it, so Regina understood why Rumpelstiltskin didn't complain.

Many outfits had been sacrificed for Henry's sake, too.

"You're not too bad at this," Regina had to say, frowning at that unexpected realization. 

"Just a matter of dusting off old habits," he told her, one hand around the child and another anchoring his weight on the cane he had been cursed with, and carefully bent to deposit his son back on the floor. The boy grumbled in protest, but quickly contented himself munching what remained of his candy. Then he gently guided the little one back onto a sitting position, extracting a flashy blue toy car to distract him.

Mission accomplished, he straightened again, stepping forward to put himself between the children and her.

Regina snorted. "They'll be fine," she reminded him. "My hands are tied, remember?"

Rumpelstiltskin gave her a placid stare. "Just don't forget it, dearie."

Regina glared back, still inwardly seething that he'd gotten the best of her even with his powers gone. He had tricked her. Dealt shrewdly for the safety of his family. Had pretended to lay all his cards on the table, just to keep an ace under his sleeve.

She had told herself that he was a sentimental fool, to waste such a good hand for one promise of hers, but looking at him now, Regina had the feeling that, as always, Rumpelstiltskin had gotten everything he wanted. For the last decades, it had been one thing to understand that he cared for the silly girl whose greatest accomplishment was to have banished the Dark One from existence, and whatever brats she had born him, but it was different now that she saw him actually behave as a family man.

If she hadn't been so hasty, Regina reflected, she could have him bending over backwards to serve her, just by threatening any of the helpless creatures he'd surrounded himself with.

It proved how smart he was, that he's recognized love as a weakness, and had walled up his defenses before he'd let her glimpse the chink in his armor. He'd led her into binding herself with an unbreakable vow before she'd known who it was she was promising to leave unhurt.

It still rankled, to have been tricked so baldly.

But, now that the curse was weakening and without magic of her own, it was the Trickster's sharp mind she needed to help her get rid of Emma Swan.

"Why, Rumple," she said, trying on a smile. "Keep this up, and you might make Father of the Year."

He chuckled. "Oh yes. The competition is fierce, I've heard."

They exchanged a knowing smile, because good parenthood in Storybrooke was as rare as a successful couple. If she couldn't have a beloved father who took care of her, why should anyone else? "It's a tough world," she said with an uncaring shrug.

"Indeed," he said, more softly. Then grinned at her, the gold tooth showing just as menacingly as the rotten teeth once had. "Now come, Regina. You're not here to trade child-rearing tips, so don't waste my time and tell me what you want."

Regina arched an eyebrow. "Can't I come visit an old friend, now that I'm aware of his presence?"

Rumpelstiltskin laughed. "No, dearie. Isn't that what brought us here in the first place? No one wanted to be your friend."

"You-!"

"Please, don't." His eyes danced as her mouth snapped shut. "Think of the children, madam Mayor," he tutted, his tone playful even as he did check on his boys from the corner of his eye.

With reluctance, seething at this second deal he'd ensnared her into, Regina nodded.

"Perfect. Now, out with it, or-" he gestured to the door "- _please_ go away."

 

The End  
27/09/16


End file.
